Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman received some blowback this week after appearing to take a jab at Ohio State’s academic standards for its student-athletes.

Freeman was quoted in a story by CBS Sports with the following message:

“I’m not saying from top to bottom, but the majority of our kids, they — I want to say this the right way — are pushed to learn and their study habits are formulated every day,” Freeman told Dodd. “You can’t cheat academics at Notre Dame.

“If you don’t go to class [at places like Ohio State and Cincinnati], OK, take some online classes, show up for your appointments … At Notre Dame, you’re forced every day to go to class.”

Freeman, of course, is an Ohio State alum with 2 degrees. He played under Jim Tressel for 5 seasons and began his coaching career with the Buckeyes as a graduate assistant.

In an interview on Wednesday with WBNS radio in Columbus, Freeman sought to clarify his comments.

“When you really look, what exactly I said, I was talking about if you don’t go to class at these big schools that have 60,000, 40,000 students, OK, you can take online classes,” Freeman told WBNS, via ESPN

. “We can’t. The majority of our k

ids cannot take online classes here because it’s a smaller school and you’re forced to have in-class attendance. That’s what I wanted to get cleared up.

“I would never disrespect Ohio State, I would never say you don’t go to class,” Freeman said. “We certainly went to class.”

Freeman’s original comments received some extra attention this week as the Fighting Irish open the 2022 season at Ohio State. It will be Notre Dame’s first trip to Columbus since 1995.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 3.